Between
A group set up in the Republic of Ireland in 1971 with the
aim of promoting better relations between the communities in Northern
Ireland. The association has branches in Belfast and Derry.

Bill of Rights Forum (BORF)
The Bill of Rights Forum was established in 2006 to produce agreed recommendations on behalf of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The British government committed at the conclusion of the St Andrews discussions to set up a Bill of Rights Forum before the end of 2006. After a brief consultation period the government concluded that the Forum should consist of 28 members - 14 politicians from the main political parties and 14 representatives of 'civic society' - employers, trade unions, churches, human rights groups, women, young people, old people, disabled people, ethnic minorities, people of all sexual orientations. On 15 March 2007 David Hanson, then NIO Human Rights Minister, announced that Chris Sidoti, a leading Australian Human Rights lawyer and activist, had been appointed as the independent Chair of the Bill of Rights Forum. The Forum published its final report on 31 March 2008. Publications produced by BORF include:
Bill of Rights Forum (BORF). (2008). Bill of Rights Forum Final Report: Recommendations to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, (31 March 2008), [PDF; 2490KB]. Belfast: Bill of Rights Forum (BORF).
Bill of Rights Forum (BORF). (2008). Correction to the Bill of Rights Forum Final Report, (31 March 2008), [PDF; 8KB]. Belfast: Bill of Rights Forum (BORF).
Bill of Rights Forum (BORF). (2008). Press Release about the Bill of Rights Forum Final Report, (31 March 2008), [PDF; 26KB]. Belfast: Bill of Rights Forum (BORF).
[Web Site]

'Bloody Sunday' Justice Campaign (BSJC)
A campaigning group who were pressing for a new inquiry into the events of 'Bloody Sunday'. The group is made up of relatives of those killed on 30 January 1972, and supporters.

Bogside Residents Association (BRA)
A residents group formed in 1994 (?) to protest at those Loyal Institution parades and marches which passed close to the Bogside area of Derry. The Bogside Residents Association consists of eight members who were elected at a public meeting. The two people who normally speak for the group are Robin Percival and Donnacha McNellis (?). Between 1969 and 1994 the Walls of Derry were closed to pedestrians for security reasons. Following the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire of 1994 the Apprentice Boys of Derry applied for permission to take their annual parade along the walls. Permission was given and, in spite of opposition from residents in the Bogside, the march passed along a section of the walls overlooking the Bogside. In 1996 further protests by the Bogside Residents Association resulted in the Walls of Derry being closed and the August parade halted.

Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland (BCNI)
"The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland is an independent and impartial public body, which reviews all UK Parliament constituency boundaries in Northern Ireland according to rules established by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended). There are separate Commissions to review UK Parliament constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales." (from the Boundary Commission Web site)
On 24 February 2016 the Boundary Commission began the 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies. The review is likely to see the number of parliamentary constituences in Northern Ireland reduced from 18 to 17, with many changes to existing boundaries.See also:
List of publications by the Boundary Commission
[Web site]

British Army (BA)
The United Kingdom's (UK) standing army. The British
Army has had a presence in the region prior to and following the partioning of Ireland and the establishment of a regional assembly in Northern Ireland. However, the army was only deployed
on the streets of the region on 14 August 1969. This marked the beginning of 'Operation Banner'. For much of the conflict the British Army played the leading security
role in the region. However, following the policy of 'Ulsterisation'
the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was given the lead role
and the British Army played a supporting role. Approximately 501 members of the British Army were killed in incidents related to the conflict. The British Army killed 316 people during the conflict of whom 166 were civilians and the majority of these were Catholics. 'Operation Banner' came to an end in 2007. Approximately 5,000 British soldiers remain in bases in Northern Ireland. Brtish Army technical support is still provided for dealing with suspected explosive devices.
[Main Entry] [Web Site]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Television and radio broadcasting company providing a service
in the United Kingdom. BBC Northern Ireland has been reporting
'the Troubles' since they began. The organisation has found itself
under intense pressure from opposing sides on a number of disputes.
The major political interference in the operation of the broadcast
media occurred with the introduction of the broadcasting ban on 19 October 1988.
[Main Entry] [Web Site]

British Irish Association (BIA)
An independent organisation which was founded in 1972 with
the aim of improving understanding of the conflict in Northern
Ireland. The group does not have formal membership but holds a
large private annual conference to discuss Northern Ireland. The
BIA invites politicians, diplomats, academics, officials and others,
from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Britain, to
this conference which is usually held in England. The group organises
other smaller ad hoc meetings.
[Web site]

British-Irish Council (BIC)
synonyms: Council of the Isles
This body was established under the Good Friday Agreement (1998) and consists of representatives drawn from members of the British and Irish governments, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, and the democratic institutions of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The main objective of the Council is to seek to promote links between the various governments, assemblies, and institutions.See also:
Dates and Communiqués of Meetings of the British-Irish Council.
[Web site]

British Irish Exchange (BIE)
A project set up to improve British Irish relationships. The
project is administered by the British Irish Exchange Education
Trust and is based in England but operates throughout Britain
and Ireland. The project helps groups with an interest in fostering
better understanding to set up a series of exchange visits.

British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC)
The name given to the body established under the terms of Good Friday Agreement (1998) which would allow for the British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) to meet and discuss issues concerning the 'totality of relationships' between Britain and Ireland. The BIIC replaced both the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council and the Intergovernmental Conference which were established under the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).
See also:
Details of meetings of the BIIC

British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (BIIPB)
The BIIPB was established on 26 February 1990 and grew out of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council (AIIC). The BIIPB meets every six months to discuss issues of common concern. The BIIPB was initially made up of 25 British Members of Parliament (MPs) and 25 Irish members of the Dáil (TDs). Three of the British members are reserved for MPs from Northern Ireland; two Unionist and one Nationalist. However, both the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Democratice Unionist Party (DUP) have refused to take up their seat on the body, and it was not until 24 April 2006 that DUP MPs agreed to attend a meeting of the BIIPB to make a presentation. In February 2001 the BIIPB was enlarged to include representatives of the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA), the High Court of Tynwald and the States of Guernsey and Jersey. (During the suspension of the NIA no MLAs attended the meetings of the BIIPB. Previous co-chairmen of the BIIPB were: Peter Temple Morris (British MP) and Paul Bradford (Irish Teachta Dála; TD).
[Web Site]

British Ulster Dominion Party (BUDP)
synonyms: Ulster Dominion Group (UDG)
A small group originally formed by Professor Kennedy Lindsay in
1975 which argued that Northern Ireland should become a self-governing
dominion. Under this particular plan the Queen would remain as
monarch and there would be a resident governor-general. The group
was initially called the Ulster Dominion Group but the named was
changed in 1977 to BUDP.

Notes:
(xx) Indicates that an entry is being prepared.
(?) Information is a best estimate while awaiting an update.
(??) Information is doubtful and is awaiting an update.
[Main Entry] Indicates that a longer separate entry is planned in the future.